Spring Practice Update - ACU

ACU set to close spring drills

Courtesy ACU

ABILENE -- ACU will close out three weeks of spring football drills Saturday morning with the annual Purple-White Scrimmage at Shotwell Stadium.

The 75-play scrimmage is set to begin at 10 a.m. ACU head coach Chris Thomsen said the first offense will go against the first defense for 25 plays, followed by the No. 2 offense going against the No. 2 defense for 25 plays. The No. 3 offense and the No. 3 defense will end the scrimmage with 25 plays of their own.

"We've had good a spring of work," Thomsen said. "We've been able to see a lot of young kids, both offensively and defensively. Our guys have worked hard this spring, and those young guys have worked especially hard. I'm looking forward to seeing if our young guys on both sides of the ball carry over to this week what they did last week."

Defensively, Thomsen said he has been impressed by the play of redshirt freshman Richard Havins, while linebacker George Faber has "had a very consistent spring." Thomsen also said he's looking forward to seeing redshirt freshman Aston Whiteside one more time before drills end.

Offensively the Wildcats must fill three gaping holes on the offensive line where Nathan Young, Matt Raesner and Cody Savage are all finished. Thomsen said he likes what he's seen so far from transfer Trevis Turner and returning backups Matt Webber and Roylad Tubbs. At wide receiver, Thomsen said senior Jonathan Ferguson, transfer Doug Pierce and redshirt freshman Chance McCoy have been impressive.

The Wildcats -- who last year led the nation in points and points per game and return quarterback Billy Malone, running back Bernard Scott (the runner-up last year for the Harlon HIll Award), and wide receiver Johnny Knox – will open their season Aug. 30 at perennial powerhouse Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo.